Improvement in folding settees



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H T L. B. 85 F. P. MORSE.

Polding-Settee.

Patented April 23, 1878.

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N FETERS, PHDTO LITHOGRAFHER, WlSHlNBTON. D C- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H.T., L. B. 85 F. F. MORSE. Folding-Settee.

No. 202,856. Patented April 23,1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY T. MORSE, LEANDER B. MORSE, AND FRANK F. MORSE, OF ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING SETTEES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 202,856, dated April 23, 1878; application filed January 23, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY T. MORSE, LEANDER B. MORSE, and FRANK F. MORSE, all of Athol, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Folding Settees, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a specification.

Our invention relates to the construction of settees intended more especially for outdoor use; and has for its object the production of a strong and serviceable settee, rustic in design, and at the same time adapted to be readily and easily folded into a compact form when it is desired to pack it away for the winter; and it consists, first, in constructing the frame of the settee from two pairs of straight, bars of wood of two different lengths, the longer pair being connected together at the proper distance apart for the length of the desired settee by means of three tie-girts, made preferably of a cylindrical torm, located one at each end of said bars, and the third somewhat below the middle of the length of said bars, and projectin g through the same sufficiently far to have secured thereon the upper ends of the two shorter bars, which form the rear legs of the settee-frame, when extended into a position nearly at right angles to the longer bar, which forms the front legs of the settee and the arms and support for theback, and adapted to vibrate about the center tie-rod, so that the front and rear legs may be folded into the same plane, the lower end of said rear legs bein g connected together by a fourth tie-rod, so arranged that when folded said rod will lie in the same plane as the front legs, and, at their ends, said rear legs being connected to the front legs by a jointed tie, adapted to be folded between said legs when the settee is, folded, and to hold said legs in proper position relative to the front legs when extended, and said rear legs extendingacross said front legs above its pivotal connection thereto, so as to form angular forks above said pivotal connection between said rear legs and the bars which form the front legs and the arms or supports for the back, in combination with a back, pivoted at or near its upper edge to the upper ends of the bars which form the front legs, and a seat, hinged or pivoted at its rear edge to the lower edge of said back, and adapted to be supported by said frame, and to be adjusted horizontally to two or more diti'erent positions with out materially changing its position vertically, or affecting the positions of the various parts of the frame relative to each other.

Our invention further consists in the combination of afolding settee-frame, constructed substantially as above described; a back, pivoted at or near its upper edge upon the upper tie-rod of said frame or to the upper ends of the inclined bars, which form the front legs and the arms thereof, so as to depend from and adapted to be rotated about said pivot and a seat, hinged to the lower edge of said back, and provided at each end with a projecting stud, bolt, or lug, adapted to rest in the fork of the crossed legs, for the purpose of supporting the seat and controlling the position of the back.

Our invention further consists in the combination of a folding settee-frame. constructed as heretofore described; a back, pivoted at or near its upper edge upon the upper tie-rod of said frame, so as to be free to vibrate about said rod as an axis; aseat, hinged by its rear edge to the lower edge of said back, and provided at each end thereof with a projecting stud or lug, adapted to bear upon the frame to support the seat; and two or more forks, sockets. or bearings on each end frame, to receive said stud or lug, whereby the seat is rendered adjustable horizontally relative to the frame, for the purpose of varying the inclination of the back.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an end elevation of our improved settee. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar section of the settee when folded, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the settee when folded.

A A are the two main bars of the frame, which form the front legs and the arms of the settee, and are connected together at the desired distance apart by the tie-rods B, O, and D. E E are the two rear legs, connected together near their lower ends by the tie-rod F, and are each pivoted to the bars A A by the tie-rod l), which passes freely through the bars A A, and then through the legs E E, which are firmly secured thereon, in such a manner that the rear legs may be vibrated about the axis of said tie-rod D, from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 into a position in the same plane with the bars A A, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The rear legs E E are made somewhat longer than the front legs from their pivotal connection thereto downward, and the tie-rod F is so located that when the settee is folded said tierod will lie across the end of and in the same plane with the front legs A A, as shown in Fig. 3. The legs E cross the bars A when extended, and project somewhat beyond the front face of said bars, so as to form an angular hearing or rest, a, as shown in Fig. 1, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

G G are ties or braces, made in two parts, jointed together by means of a stop or shouldered joint, and pivoted at one end to the front leg and at the other end to the rear leg, and adapted to firmly brace said legs and hold them in position when extended, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and to be folded by raising their centers to permit the settee to be folded, said braces folding into the recess b cut in one of the legs, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The back H of the settee is made up of a series of slats, firmly secured at the ends upon the end rails c c, which rails are pivoted at or near their upper ends upon the upper tie-rod B, in such a manner as to be free to be vibrated or revolved about said rod, said back H depending from said rod, it being made of such a length that it will swing freely between the bars A A. The seat I is made up, in the same manner as the back H, of a series of slats, d d, secured firmly at the ends upon the end rails ee,which rails are hinged by their rear ends to the lower ends of the rails c c of the back, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in such a manner that the back and seat may be adjusted to any desired angle to each other, or be extended so as to lie in the same plane, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The seat I is provided with the studs, bolts, or lugs g g, projecting, one from each end thereof, a distance equal to the combined width of the bars A and E, and adapted to rest in angle a of said bars, orin the concave bearing h formed in the upper end of the leg E, for the purpose of supporting the front edge of the seat, said studs, bolts, or lugs being located in front of thecenter of the seat, the rear edge of the seat being supported by its hinge-connection to the back H in an obvious manner.

If it is desired to give the back a greater inclination, the front edge of the seat is raised and then moved forward, and the lugs, bolts, or studs 9 g are dropped into the bearings h h. Instead of the bolts or lugs g g, one or more concave bearings, t' i, may be formed in the under side of the end rails e e of the seat I,

.adapted to engage with and rest upon the central tie-rod D.

When it is desired to pack the settees away for storage or transportation, the front edge of the seat is raised, and the seat is then pulled forward, and its front edge is allowed to drop till the back and seat are so extended as to occupy the same, or nearly the same, plane. The centers of the braces G G are then moved upward, and the legs E E are swung into the same plane as the bars A A.

If it is desired to pack the settee into the smallest possible compass, the back and seat should be revolved about the tie-rod B into the position shown in Fig. 3.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, in a folding settee, of the two straight bars A A, connected together by suitable tie-rods; the rear legs E E, connected together at their lower ends by a tierod, and pivoted to the bars A A, and held in position, when extended, by the jointed braces G G; the back H, pivoted at or near its upper edge to the upper ends of the bars A A; and the seat I, hinged or pivoted ly its rear edge to the lower edge of the back, and adapted to rest upon and be supported by the central pivoted tie-rod, and to be adjusted horizontally to two or more different positions thereon, without materially c'langing its height from the floor or aifect'ng the position of the several parts of the frame relative to each other, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, in a folding settee, of the two straight bars A A and suitable tierods, connecting them together; the rear legs E E, connected together at their lower ends by a tie-rod, and pivoted to the bars A A, and projecting above or beyond said bars when extended; folding braces G G; the back H, pivoted to the upper ends of the bars A A by its upper edge, and adapted to be vibrated about said pivotal connection; and the seat I, hinged or pivoted at its rear edge to the lower edge of the back H, and provided with a stud, bolt, or lug, g, at each end, adapted to rest in the angular bearings a a, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of the bars A A, legs E E, braces G G, and suitable tie-rods for connecting said bars and legs together. as set forth the back H, pivoted by its upper edge to the upper ends of the bars A A; the seat I, hinged by its rear edge to the lower edge of the back H, and provided at each end with a stud, bolt, or lug, g, projecting therefrom; and two or more bearings, a and h, on each end frame, to receive said studs, bolts, or 1ugs,substautially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a folding settee, the back H, pivoted at or near its upper edge to the end frames of the settee, and depending therefrom, and adapted to be vibrated about said pivotal connection, in combination with the seat I, hinged at its rear edge to the lower edge of said back, and provided with a projecting stud, bolt, or lug g, at each end thereof, and two or more bearings, a and h, on each end frame, to re oeive said studs, bolts, or lugs, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination, in a folding settee, of the bars A A, legs E E, tie-rods B, G, D, and F, braces G G, back H, pivoted at or near its upper edge to the upper ends of the bars A A, and the seat I, hinged to the back, as set forth, and provided with one or more bearin gs, z i, at each end thereof, adapted to engage with and rest upon the tie-rod I), substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a settee, the back H, pivoted to the upper ends of the end'frames, in combination with the seat I, hinged by its rear edge to the 

